Arctic char

Fully cooked arctic char can be offered once your baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Its mercury level is lower than that of many other fish.

The fish lives in fresh and salt water across cold regions of the world. The flavor is mild and rich. It is a close relative of salmon.

It supplies protein, vitamins A, B6, B12 and D, zinc and iron. It also provides DHA, an omega-3 fat that supports brain and eye development.

General approach

Always cook fish all the way through. Remove every bone and the skin before serving. Strips or flakes work well in the early months. Older babies can try fish cakes and fish salad.

Make fish one part of a varied diet to keep baby's mercury intake modest. When you can, choose low-mercury types. Salmon, sardines and North Atlantic mackerel belong to that group, as does this fish.

Smoked fish

Fully cooked smoked arctic char is fine as an occasional taste. Products that were not cooked through, such as cold-smoked fish, raise the chance of foodborne illness. A baby's immune system is still maturing, and no age is known to be clearly safe for these. Smoked fish is also salty, so offer only a little.

Wild or farmed

Neither wild nor farmed arctic char is better for baby. Both are nutritious. Pick the one that suits your family.

Once the bones and skin are gone, cooked arctic char is a low choking risk if you prepare it to suit your baby's age. Still, any food can cause choking.

The real danger is bones. A bone may get stuck in baby's mouth, throat or food pipe. Run your fingers through the cooked fish to find them. Sit with your baby at meals and stay within arm's reach.

Yes, fish is a common allergen. The World Health Organization counts finned fish in this group. Arctic char is a close relative of salmon, one of the fish that most often triggers allergy. Roughly 0.2 percent of people worldwide are thought to be allergic to finned fish, and children are affected less often than adults. Most people with fish allergy do not outgrow it. About 40 percent have their first reaction in adulthood.

About half of those allergic to one fish also react to others. The main allergen, beta-parvalbumin, shows up in most species. If your baby has a fish allergy, ask an allergist before offering any other fish.

Some people react to proteins that float in the air while fish cooks. If that happens with your baby, you may prefer not to cook fish at home.

FPIES and scombroid poisoning

Fish can set off a delayed allergy called FPIES. It starts a few hours after eating, with repeated vomiting and diarrhea. Without treatment it can lead to serious dehydration.

Scombroid poisoning is different. It happens when fish is stored too warm and histamine builds up. The symptoms look like an allergy. Keeping fish well chilled lowers the risk.

First tries

If you suspect an allergy, see an allergist before offering fish. Begin with a small portion and keep your eyes on baby throughout the meal. When all goes well, raise the portion over time. After a common allergen has gone well, keeping it in the diet is advised, ideally twice a week. You do not need to serve every fish species that often. Fish share the same main proteins, so rotating types is fine.